Swear Not By The Moon
by silverbranches
Summary: "She swore a solemn oath, underneath the moon and the stars and the sky, to never kill again." Red comes to terms with learning that she is the wolf. Slight spoilers for "Red-Handed" and "Heart of Darkness"


**A/N: The title comes from _Romeo and Juliet._ I though it a bit fitting.**

**Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time belongs to ABC.**

She had always feared the stories of the wolf.

Ever since she was a child, Red had been told the stories, had seen the scars that marred her Grandmother's skin, and had felt afraid.

Her fear was what kept her in the house during the Wolf Time, nestled deep inside her red cloak.

When the men came to the door, ready to go on a hunt, she hoped that they would find the creature. She hoped that they would drag back its lifeless remains and burn it, so that it could never bother the people of the village again.

* * *

><p>It had taken her nearly an hour to stop shaking.<p>

She still couldn't get the image out of her head – Peter's dead body, devoured and bloody. It was an image that would be sure to haunt her sleep forever.

She shivered, even though she was sitting in front of the crackling fire. She pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders.

Her cloak, her red cloak, the one that gave Red her name, which was as red as the blood she had spilled.

_Red repels wolves._

If her mood weren't so grim, she would have laughed aloud at the irony. Her cloak did what it was supposed to: it repelled wolves. But the wolf wasn't some awful creature that lurked in the forest. The wolf was inside of _her._

The floor creaked, then Mary stood by Red's chair, holding a steaming mug of tea.

"Here," Mary said, handing her the drink. "It's mint tea."

Red accepted the cup, and took a sip of the calming beverage. She didn't look at Mary as the woman settled herself in the chair next to Red.

"Don't be angry at your Grandmother, " Mary pleaded. "She only wanted to protect you."

"She could have protected me better by telling me the truth," Red shot back, wanting desperately to lead away from this topic.

Yet Mary persisted. "Granny didn't want to lose you like she lost your mother. She just wanted – "

"What about what I want?" Red asked. "If you were in my position, Mary, wouldn't you feel the same?"

After that, there was silence.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Mary made an announcement during breakfast.<p>

"I should leave today," she said.

Both Granny and Red froze in the middle of eating. Granny was the first to recover.

"Why" she asked.

"Your hospitality has been wondrous, " Mary rushed to assure them. "But – I can't risk being found out, and if anyone gets too nosy, then…either way, the risk is just too high."

Two days ago, men had come to their door, bringing news of Peter's death. Mary had been seen by the men, and soon after questions began to arise about the dark-haired stranger. Even though the questions had mostly died down, there were still whispers about the identity of the young woman.

"Well then." Granny rose from the table, and began placing food into a worn pack. "We won't let you go hungry, at the very least."

Within an hour, Mary had a pack stuffed with food, some clothes, and directions to an abandoned cottage many miles away. It was secluded, the perfect place for a hideaway.

Red wrapped Mary in a tight hug. "Goodbye Mary," she said. "Stay safe."

"Snow White," Mary said as she pulled back from the embrace.

"What?" Red was confused. What did Snow White have to do with Mary?

"My name," Mary explained, "is Snow White."

Later, Red would deal with the fact that her friend, Mary, - no, _Snow White_ – was a criminal wanted by the Queen for treason. For now, she gave her a smile and said, "Be safe – Snow White."

* * *

><p>When Red had wished to travel places, she did <em>not<em> mean while being chased by a vengeful king.

She looked up at the moon, that silver orb floating high in the sky. Then she began to limp through the snow, headed for the shelter of the nearby forest. She left the bodies of King George's man lying on the ground.

She hadn't killed any of them – they were just injured and knocked unconscious. After Peter, she had sworn a solemn oath that she would never kill again. She didn't want more blood on her hands.

As soon as she entered the woods, she found a spot where she could rest for the night. In the morning, she would try to find her way to a town.

Red tore some fabric off her dress to bandage a gash on her leg, and she briefly wondered why she was doing this.

She would risk her life for Snow, just like Snow would do for her. It was the way of their friendship, but Red couldn't help but feel that there had to be something else.

Maybe it was the look in their eyes when Snow and James talked about each other. The look that made her miss Peter even more, that empty hole in her heart where he used to be. Yet the look in Peter's eyes as he gazed at her couldn't even begin to compare to the look in James' as he talked about Snow.

Maybe that's why she was trekking around the countryside, hoping James had found his way to Snow.

Because she knew love, and she knew what it was like to lose it.

Most importantly, she knew that love was something worth fighting for.


End file.
